College students aren't all that smart: IQ average falls to 102
- Joanne Jacobs
- Jan 25, 2024
- 2 min read
The average college student has average intelligence, concludes a meta-analysis by Canadian researchers, writes Ross Pomeroy on Big Think. In 1939, when only 10 percent of Americans enrolled in college, the average IQ was 119. By 2022, it's down to 102, not significantly above the average of 100.
“The decline in students’ IQ is a necessary consequence of increasing educational attainment over the last 80 years,” the researchers wrote. “Today, graduating from university is more common than completing high school in the 1940s.”
The “Flynn effect” -- a steady rise in IQs from 1940 onward -- has been well established, writes Pomeroy. However, "there are signs it may have reversed in the first two decades of the 21st century."
The "college for all" movement and easy access to student loans persuaded most high school graduates to give college a try. However, only 58 percent of students complete a degree within six years, Pomeroy notes. Students with lower IQs are more likely to drop out. "One influential study showed that for white American undergraduates with an IQ only slightly above average, their chance of graduating is essentially 50-50."
The researchers called for professors to "adjust curricula and academic standards" so average students can succeed. However, they warned that “employers can no longer rely on applicants with university degrees to be more capable or smarter than those without degrees.”
Some degrees will retain their value, especially those from selective universities. But a Fuzzy Studies degree from Regional State U will be even less impressive to employers. (I believe a gender studies degree signals: "Don't hire this person.")
In 2017, Education Testing Service "experts" estimated that physics (133), math (130), philosophy (129) and materials science (129) majors have the highest IQs. (I assume they're extrapolating from SAT scores.) I was an English major (120). Education majors average 110.
"A degree has become increasingly meaningless as more people attain it," writes Pomeroy.
"Last year, for the first time, the Wall Street Journal-NORC poll showed that 56% of Americans think attending college is not worth the cost," a significant change in 10 years. "Skepticism is strongest" among people of college age.
Statistics show student IQs are aligning with the general average. This shift suggests raw intelligence is no longer the sole key to success. In https://hauntplay.com/, simple smarts won't save you; you must adapt to shifting rules. Survival depends on your ability to move decisively.
I worked part-time helping freshmen with basic computer literacy. One student didn’t know how folders worked. Another thought “copy and paste” physically moved the original file somewhere else. These are people paying tens of thousands for a degree.
College doesn’t automatically make people intelligent. Sometimes it just means they survived the application process and showed up to class long enough.
This study sheds light on the evolving nature of higher education and how more access doesn't necessarily correlate with higher intelligence. It's fascinating to see the impact of increased college enrollment over time.
The decline in college student IQ to 102 reflects the democratization of higher education, a necessary outcome of mass enrollment. While this challenges traditional assumptions about degree value, it highlights opportunities to rethink education and hiring. Students should prioritize high-ROI paths, educators should adapt without compromising rigor, and employers should focus on skills.
Geometry Dash
I don't doubt that the average IQ of students *enrolled* in college has dropped; but what is the average IQ (or SAT/ACT score, as a proxy) of the 60% of students who have actually graduated? The universities could calculate that, if they wanted to. Even disaggregated by major field, or by race/gender, ir any other criterion we're not supposed to notice.